Typically, gas turbine engines include a compressor for compressing air, a combustor for mixing the compressed air with fuel and igniting the mixture, and a turbine blade assembly for producing power. Combustors often operate at high temperatures that may exceed 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit. Typical turbine combustor configurations expose turbine blade assemblies to these high temperatures. As a result, turbine blades must be made of materials capable of withstanding such high temperatures.
Because of the high temperatures to which turbine blades are often exposed, systems have been developed to monitor various components of a turbine engine during testing to determine the feasibility of the components and operation phenomena. One such system that has been developed is a viewing tube that enables a user to view the internal aspects of a turbine engine while the turbine engine is operating. Most of these systems were designed for temporary use, such as during testing procedures, and have not been designed to account for the stresses and wear attributable to long-term exposure to high temperature combustor gases. While these systems have provided various devices for viewing portions of a turbine engine, there exists a need for a robust viewing tube enabling a user to view high temperature components of a turbine engine while the turbine engine is operating at full speed.